All eyes on Chatham Cup

Press, 21 June 1980, Page 60

All eyes on Chatham Cup

Soccer’s spotlight will move this week-end from the bread-and-butter of the Rothmans League to the sudden-death drama of the Adidas Chatham Cup, as the top 12 clubs in New Zealand join the survivors from the earlier contests in the third round proper.

The draw has ensured that for at least two of the 12 it will be a short and sour cup programme — for ' either Trans Tours United or Rangers, Hamilton or Hanimex North Shore. These Rothmans League clubs will clash in the week-end’s two main matches.

For United and Rangers it will be their third meeting of the season — and,

strangely, at their third venue. United strolled away with the first, 4-1, at Queen Elizabeth 11. Park; Rangers scored in the last minute to gain an avenging 2-1 success at Rangers Park. Tomorrow, they will shoot for the best of three at English Park. United will be unchanged from the side that went down, unluckily, to Roth-

mans League leader, Mount Wellington, last week-end, but Rangers will make at least two changes. One will be welcomed, with the return of Alan South into the defence after completing his one-game suspension; the other has been forced on the coach, Mr lan Marshall, in tragic circumstances. Rangers’ giant goal-keeper, Brian Reeves, will definitely miss tomorrow’s game; and there are fears that he will not play again this season. Reeves was replaced by Michael Fullham after a collision with a Gisborne City player last Sunday, and will see a surgeon about the possibility Of a cartilage surgery on his right knee. His replacement against United is likely to be the 20-year-old Rrevor Cliff a product of Rangers’ youth policy over the years, instead of Fulham. However, Mr Marshall will delay the announcement of his side until after training this morning. The United coach, Brian Hardman, with no injury problems to worry him, says that he is not being lulled

into any false sense of security by reports that Rangers “have been easing off this week and will not be taking the cup-tie seriously.” (Marshall, himself, denies he has been trying to “con” United).

“That’s so much baloney,” Hardman said. “The day Rangers take a match with United easily pigs will climb up lan’s kitchen wall. We will be going all out from the start; so will Rangers. “With the _ Rothmans League title slipping away from us at this stage, we want this one to keep the chance of winning something this season.” ■ ‘ There are two other cup? ties in the Canterbury area, both to be played today — Woolston W.M.C. v Invercargill Thistle at Queen Elizabeth II No. 2 ground (1.30 p.m.) and Northern Hearts v. Cashmere Wanderers at Timaru.' It would be a big surprise if WoOlston did not progress into the next round, while Cashmere, in spite of the disadvantage of playing in Timaru, should

complete a successful Christchurch cup day. Further south, Dunedin City will not have great difficulty overcoming Dunedin Technical.

The other all-Rothmans League clash in the round, between Hamilton and Hanimex, has the hallmarks of being a torrid affair. Hanimex, the holder, is well out of the League race, and will not let go of its hold on the cup easily. The Chatham Cup invariably causes some upsets, and although this week-end’s fixtures do not hold out the likelihood of many, Blockhouse Bay, propping up the Rothmans League, could be on the losing end. of one, in its home fixtures against Mount Roskill. There will also be three Hertz League matches today, and the one with greatest interest is that between the championship-chasing Halswell United and Shamrock at Halswell Domain. . Halswell will move ahead of Western, which is without a match this week-end, if. it wins. . .